Sports are a central part of the culture of the Dominican Republic, and have been practiced in the whole country since the native inhabitants were living in the island. Sports play a key role in the culture and makeup of Dominican Republic society.[1]Baseball is the most popular sport on the island country and Major League Baseball has been recruiting players from the Dominican Republic since the 1960s.[2] Basketball, Association football, Volleyball, and Boxing are other sports played in the country.
Although the sport was first seen in Latin America in Cuba, baseball began to flourish in the Dominican Republic when the United States Marine Corps occupied the island from 1916 to 1924.[1] The first players of the game in the Dominican Republic were the upper-class Dominican boys who studied in the United States and played the game of baseball when they returned to the Dominican Republic. In the early 1900s, there were two baseball clubs named Nuevo Club and Ozama that were head and shoulders above the competition. However, a group called Licey emerged and it would become one of the finest sporting institutions in the Dominican Republic.[1] With the arrival of Licey in 1907 thousands of people showed up for their games with the other self-organized teams in the country. They became great entertainment for citizens from all economic backgrounds. In 1912, Nuevo Club won the first baseball championship in Santo Domingo. Between the years of 1907–1920, the sport of baseball was played in the Dominican Republic for fun and the players played for "the love of the game."[1] However, in 1921 the teams began to collect money from spectators and the championship game that year brought in over $7,000 and commercial pressures led to the sport becoming a semi-profession in the Dominican Republic.[1]Rafael Trujillo became president of the Dominican Republic in 1930 and he helped baseball soar in popularity as the sport gained a political connection.[1] By the end of the 1930s, many of the finest Negro league players from the United States and Cuban players played baseball in the summer in the Dominican Republic as they were paid a fortune in order to come play.[1]Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947 and soon after teams from the MLB began sending scouts to watch Dominican Republic players play.[1]
Between 1955 and 1980 there were 49 players from the Dominican Republic who played in the MLB.[2] However, in the 1980s hundreds of players started coming to the United States as there became "working relationships between North American and Dominican teams."[2] The first great pitcher from the Dominican Republic who starred in the United States was Juan Marichal who is nicknamed the "Dominican Dandy". He began his playing career in the MLB in 1960 after he was signed from the Dominican Republic by the San Francisco Giants.[5] The first great hitter from the Dominican Republic was Felipe Alou who hit 206 career home runs.[5]Free agency in the MLB, which began in 1976, and the rise of baseball academies in the Dominican Republic have changed Dominican Baseball.[2] For years, owners of traditional Dominican teams have been underpaying their players, however since the salary of Major League Baseball players has gone up dramatically players who once played in the Dominican Winter Baseball League are no longer playing and instead, trying to sign contracts with teams from the MLB.[2]
People in the baseball stadium of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Historian Alan Klein wrote in his book Sugarball, "Nothing typifies the new direction of Dominican baseball as much as the baseball academy, an institution rooted in the increased presence and benevolent paternalism of North American baseball interests in the country."[2] The first baseball academy in the Dominican Republic was built in 1977 by Ralph Avila. In his description of baseball academies in the Dominican Republic, Klein wrote "What the academy does in working with the Dominican players goes beyond teaching baseball skills. They teach career preparation, socialization and how to cope with the cultural changes they will face in the United States."[2] Campo Las Palmas is the best is the best-run academy on the island and it is owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers.[2]
The Dominican Republic has its own baseball league, the Dominican Winter Baseball League, which runs its season from October to January. It comprises six teams: Águilas Cibaeñas (Cibao Eagles), Estrellas Orientales (Eastern Stars), Gigantes del Cibao (Cibao Giants), Leones del Escogido (Chosen Lions), Tigres del Licey (Licey Tigers), and Toros del Este (Eastern Bulls). The league started in 1956 when the Dominican League switched from playing in the summers to playing in the winters.[1] Many MLB and minor league players play in the Dominican League during their own off-season. However, as of late the league has struggled financially as "more of the established native players sit out and too many of the reinforcements fail to last the season. Attendance is down and the country's economic crisis has intruded the parks."[1]
The Dominican Republic has participated in the Baseball World Cup, winning one Gold (1949), three Silver (1942, 1950, 1952), and two Bronze (1943, 1969), placing it seventh, right after Puerto Rico's one Gold, four Silver, and four Bronze. (Cuba holds a record twenty-five Gold, two Silver and two Bronze.)
Football is also a popular sport in the Dominican Republic. The governing body is the Federación Dominicana de Fútbol. The Liga Dominicana de Fútbol is the top division of the Federación Dominicana de Fútbol. There have been a couple of FIFA Goal Programme projects that have been designed to further improve the infrastructure and facilities in the country in recent years. Notable Dominican Footballers include Mariano Díaz and Junior Firpo, who both play in La Liga, and Jonathan Faña, who is currently the top scorer of the national team of the Dominican Republic national football team.[citation needed] Association Football is most popular among recent immigrants from Haiti and other countries,[8] but most people of Haitian ancestry who have lived most of their life in Dominican Republic− prefer baseball similar to the majority of Dominicans.[9]
The Dominican Republic has had a quite successful national team which e.g. advanced to the second stage at the 2019 Basketball World Cup after they surprisingly eliminated Germany 70–68.
The National Federation of Basketball holds every year a professional league, the National Basketball League, LNB (Spanish: "Liga Nacional de Baloncesto").
The National Basketball Association (NBA) have some players who represent the Dominican Republic, such as:
Though no longer played much, cricket was played to some extent by immigrants from the West Indies. The game of "la plaquita" or "la placa", a popular informal Dominican bat-and-ball game, descends from cricket.[17]
^ abcdefghijRuck, Rob (1991). The Tropic of Baseball: Baseball in the Dominican Republic. Westport, Connecticut: Meckler Publishing. p. 5. ISBN0-88736-566-3.
^ abC., Bjarkman, Peter (1994-01-01). Baseball with a Latin beat : a history of the Latin American game. McFarland. ISBN0899509738. OCLC254182879.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Though no accurate accounts exist of cricket's history in the DR some speculate that West Indian immigrants brought cricket to the Dominican Republic in the late 19th century.""A very simple form of cricket was continued to be played and would morph into a street game played by children called "la plaquita." "
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